


Caught

by Sylv



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: F/M, Triangle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-29
Updated: 2012-11-29
Packaged: 2017-11-19 19:43:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/576943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylv/pseuds/Sylv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starfire was not someone easily swayed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caught

Starfire was not someone easily swayed. She was quick to make friends and be accommodating, but she was steadfast in her opinions and views on the world. For instance, she believed that there was good in everyone, and they simply needed to find it. She believed that there was always something that could be done. She did not believe in giving up. And she believed that everyone had the right to live well and happily.

That was why Starfire did  _not_ take to criminals.

Red X was a criminal. He was simply a man in a suit (which he also stole) who did things that were against the law. That was all. There was nothing else about him that was notable. And there definitely wasn't anything about him that was redeemable. He was stuck as a thief until he made his conscious decision to change. And from what he showed the Titans whenever they engaged in battle, he was not going to be changing anytime soon.

\--

"How's it goin', beautiful?" he whispers in her ear, and she hates it. She whirls around and hurls a starbolt in his direction, but it collides with a wall instead of a smooth-talking thief.

"Nice try, hun," his voice comes again with a chuckle in it, and Starfire spins around once more, but there is nothing there. With a growl of frustration she slowly turns in a circle as she floats, desperately hoping that she can catch a glimpse of him before he disappears again.

From nowhere, a large, red, sticky X appears and pins her bodily to the wall behind her, thrusting her through empty boxes as it does so. A small shriek of surprise escapes her mouth before she can stifle it, along with the rest of the air in her lungs, and that upsets her too. She scowls and struggles to rip herself free of the sticky substance, although it was made to hold her. When it becomes obvious that there will be no easy freedom, the girl stops and scans the area around her for the criminal.

He appears in front of her, standing nonchalantly as though he's always been there. She narrows her eyes at him and shoots eye beams, but he merely somersaults out of the way. He is too fast for her. Starfire watches as he approaches, still attempting to free herself. She pulls at the substance, pleased when small parts of it seem to be coming off. Not quickly enough, though, and Red X is standing in front of her, far too close for comfort.

He stares at her through his mask, and she glares back at him, weighing the options of trying to shoot him again with her eye beam and waiting for the rest of her team to arrive so that they could apprehend him.

"Come on now, gorgeous," he purrs, allowing one finger to trace her jaw line. "Why don't you leave Bird Boy over there?" His touch is sending shivers down her spine and she hates it, she  _hates it_. "You're wasting your time and your powers with these guys."

This makes her angry. Starfire decides that catching Red X would be much less satisfying than blasting him, so she does so, happily catching him full on the chest. She throws her body weight forward and strains with all her might until the X releases her from the wall and she falls towards the ground. Strong arms catch her, and she looks up to see the white skull mask staring down into her glowing green eyes. "Wouldn't a date with me be so much more interesting, sweetheart?" he asks like their previous one-sided conversation hadn't been interrupted.

She hates him so much, and proves it by maneuvering so that her leg, her only free limb, can connect with his body. She kicks with as much force as she will ever use on a villain, causing him to drop her bodily, but she doesn't mind; it is better than being held by him. Soon afterwards he jumps up to confront Starfire again, only to find her lying on the ground, entangled in his X. She snarls at him when he comes near, but it does not faze him. He makes a quick swoop in, "Until next time, love," strokes her cheek and disappears.

If there was ever a time to curse in Tamaranian, it is now. Starfire's eyes are tearing up from the emotion that was roiling inside of her. An eternity too late, the rest of her team arrives, having only just escaped the traps laid for them by the thief.

"Star! Are you okay?" shouts Robin, sprinting to her side and immediately beginning to work on cutting her loose. The others join him, eyes concerned. She cannot look at any of them, especially her leader. She fears that he may see it in her eyes. Starfire clenches them shut and waits for her friends to free her, hoping that even if they find out they will still love her. But she knows that this cannot be the case. She  _hates_  that man.  _Hates_  him.

\--

Starfire sat in her room with the blinds drawn. Her legs were pulled up to her chest and her eyes were closed. She felt her heart clench painfully in her chest and sucked in a breath. The alien could not stand to face any of her friends at the moment. They might be able to see it in her expression, or in the way that she moved or talked. And what would they say if they found out? What would Robin say if he found out?

She loved Robin. She loved him with all her heart. He was brave, determined, intelligent and always willing to be there for her. He was the leader of their team, one of her best friends, and he was a hero. She knew that it was impossible for her to not love him even if she tried. Loving Robin was a part of her. She would feel incomplete without it.

Red X… he was merely a criminal. He stole things and generally made a nuisance of himself. He found ways to get under each of their skins, and he was the epitome of the anti-hero. Someone who only did things because they could. He had no reason behind it; he stole because it was possible, and for nothing else. He only watched out for himself, and didn't care about anyone.

He only called her names because it would help him, she told herself fiercely. He said she was gorgeous because it was convenient for him. That's what Starfire tried to tell herself every time they fought him. He always managed to get her alone, and he always managed to catch her off guard. Starfire had learned to not answer him, knowing that her remarks would only fuel him on, and she didn't know how much of those words she could take.

But Starfire was a Tamaranian, and Tamaranians were emotional beings. She was in tune with emotions, not in the same way that Raven was, but because she cared about everyone, and was open to them. She knew sincerity from falsity, and Red X was never lying when he spoke to her about her looks, or her abilities, or any such thing. He didn't even use that mocking tone that the alien had come to recognize when he addressed Robin and the others. It was something else, with a sort of 'baring of the soul' quality underlying it.

Robin had never called her beautiful. He had never said to her that she was powerful simply because he meant it, not after showing some ability that inspired awe in him. He didn't look at her the way that she could feel Red X did, and he definitely didn't touch her in that way that made a heat gather in her stomach and sent tingles rushing to whatever spot he grazed. Robin had never given her any of that, and Red X was filling the gaps. In a way, she liked what he did. And that's why she despised him.

She knew the truth of these words. Red X truly believed that she was beautiful, that she was powerful, and that she deserved better than her friends. Starfire hated him for that. She cursed him for degrading her wonderful friends, for assuming that she would be so easily swept away to join him with his thieving, for being a thief in the first place, and cursed him for making her feel the way that she did.

She loved Robin, she loved Robin,  _she loved Robin_ …!

Starfire buried her head in her arms, red locks spilling down her back, and wept.


End file.
